﻿the classroom﻿

​​module 4

Opportunities and Challenges ​in Migration

Introduction​As we saw in the previous modules, economic disparities, poverty and environmental degradation, combined with the absence of peace and security and human rights violations are all factors influencing international migration. Today, almost one out of every 10 persons living in developed countries is a migrant. This module will illustrate the opportunities and challenges that migration brings to both emigration and receiving countries.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this module is to:

Offer you a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by migration, especially in the Maltese context.

Show you some practical ways of turning challenges into opportunities.

Invite you to reflect on the importance of reconciling the interests of hosting populations with the demands of those in search of better living standards.

​

'Refugee' is not an occupation

To introduce you to the topic of this module, we invite you to watch the following video on training courses for young refugees offered by Berlin’s Chamber of Skilled Crafts and Small Businesses. The video shows you how participants from countries like Nigeria and Kosovo are taking full advantage of these training programs in order to learn a new profession and to prove the added value they can bring to their host society.

Click on the icon to​watch the video clip!

In the next section we will look at some challenges and opportunities faced by sending and receiving countries in migration... Each sub-section contains sources so that you can read further...

Sending Countries - Challenges

Brain drain and brain waste - In economically poor countries, when talented and high-skilled individuals migrate, communities are drained of their professional resources. At the same time, when skilled migrants settle in a new country they face the risk of “brain waste”. On one side, the recognition and legalization of foreign diplomas and degrees in host countries often proves extremely difficult. On the other side, many only manage to find jobs for which they are overqualified. These obstacles can work as deterrent for prospective migrants in the sending countries to continue pursue their education.For instance, if Libyan university graduates end up working as irregular migrants in the construction sector in Marsa, prospective migrants back in Libya may not be encouraged to invest in their education.Source: S. Castles, H. De Haas & M. J. Miller (2014) ‘The Age of Migration’, Palgrave Macmillan

​​Creation of a culture of migration - the goods and knowledge migrants bring back to their countries of origin can contribute to the creation of a so-called ‘culture of migration’: youth from poor communities end up seeing traditional occupations in their home country as less desirable and can only imagine their future elsewhere, migrating.For instance, over the last decades a strong culture of migration has emerged and developed in the Philippines, with millions of Filipinos willing to work abroad, notwithstanding all the obstacles they are likely to encounter.Source: S. Castles, H. De Haas & M. J. Miller (2014) ‘The Age of Migration’, Palgrave Macmillan

Remittances –remittances alone do not represent a solution to poverty in countries of emigration. Migration is a selective process and in the poorest countries it is often a privilege of the wealthy. Therefore, if only the better-off manage to migrate, large part of the remittances sent back to the countries of origin do not stream to those members of the society who are most in need.Source: S. Castles, H. De Haas & M. J. Miller (2014) ‘The Age of Migration’, Palgrave Macmillan

Sending Countries - Opportunities

Remittances - In families, remittances represent a solid source of revenue which contributes to diversify the household income and enhance the quality of life: education, health, nutrition, housing. However, disadvantaged communities often heavily rely on migrant remittances. As a result, migrants have high economic expectations to fulfill, and the fear of not being able to meet them can affect their choices in the receiving countries. On the national level, remittances are often seen by governments as a reliable source of foreign currency for the country.Sources:Directorate-General For External Policies – Policy Department (2014) ‘The Impacts of Remittances on Developing Countries’;S. Castles, H. De Haas & M. J. Miller (2014) ‘The Age of Migration’, Palgrave Macmillan

Education around fertility and fertility rates - There is evidence that fertility norms of the host country are transmitted back to a migrant’s country of origin. In developing countries, where education around fertility and fertility rates (and poverty) are high, this transmission of norms contributes to reduce family size, leading to healthier families.Sources: M. Beine, F. Docquier, M. Schiff (2013) ‘International Migration, transfer of norms and home country fertility’, Canadian Journal of Economics

Receiving Countries - Challenges​Ethnic residential concentration - studies show that many European countries tend to consider the formation of ethnic minority neighborhoods as an obstacle to the integration of minorities. Native households are often reluctant to remain in neighborhoods with large concentrations of minority groups. Desegregation policies aimed at addressing this challenge are already in place in different countries.In Malta, evidence from the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (2013) suggests that certain areas of the island show high concentrations of migrant populations, mostly clustered around ethnic groups.Sources:J. Iceland (2014), ‘Residential Segregation: A Transatlantic Analysis’, Migration Policy InstituteG. Bolt (2009), ‘Combating residential segregation of ethnic minorities in European cities’, Journal of Housing and the Built EnvironmentM. Fsadni and Associates (2012), ‘Immigrant and Ethnic Minority Groups and Housing in Malta – A Research Study’.

Hate Crimes – there is evidence that throughout Europe migrants, asylum seekers, and people from ethnic-minorities are often victims of attacks, harassment and xenophobic speech. In some EU Member States, civil society organisations claim that States’ responses to tackle hate crimes against minorities are not strong enough. Hate crimes are underreported and this contributes to the invisibility of the issue.Sources: FRA (2016), ‘Current migration situation in the EU: hate crime’

Impact on the public purse - The presence of an increasing number of migrants in our societies is often perceived by the population as a threat to their livelihood and social conditions. This idea is further emphasized by far-right parties and populist movements, who argue that newcomers are a burden for society and a drain on the state’s economy. However, data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that in most European countries migrants pay more in taxes and social contributions than they receive in services and benefits.To learn more: OECD (2014) ‘Is migration good for the economy?’Sources: OECD, ‘International Migration Outlook 2013’

Demographic trends – Regularly employed migrant workers receive a salary by which they pay taxes and contributions. In this way, they also actively contribute to the social security system of their hosting country, contributing, for instance, to national pension schemes. This is especially important in today’s Europe where fertility rates are dropping and life expectancy is becoming higher, meaning that the number of retired people is increasing. Consequently, Europe needs more workers in order to maintain the social benefits for retired people. Thus, if it were not for immigrant workers, the working age population of the EU would already be shrinking dramatically.Sources:EUROSTAT (2017), ‘Population structure and ageing’S. Solari (2016), ‘How immigrants are saving the Italian economy and pensions’, Open Migration

Reinventing Skills – One of the most common stereotypes about migrants is that migrant workers are taking away jobs from European workers. Today, in many European countries, migrants have become scapegoats and blamed for high unemployment rates among local populations. However, according to a report from OECD, migrants are responsible for 70% of the increase of the workforce in Europe. Moreover, they often take manual jobs abandoned and not sought after by local people and thus contribute to fill the gaps in the labour market. Additionally, it is shown that migrant workers have been fundamental to prevent some national industries from failure, because of the lack of native workers.Sources:P. Fargues (2014), ‘Is what we hear about migration really true? Questioning height stereotypes’ Migration Policy InstituteOECD (2014), OECD (2014) ‘Is migration good for the economy?’

Cultural diversity – Migration means confrontation with “the other” and consequently, enrichment. Migrants arrive to their host country with their personal baggage of skills, knowledge and competences, and they share them with their local friends and colleagues. Intercultural exchange represents an opportunity of both personal and professional growth. In the workplace, for instance, various UK and US studies have reported that cultural diversity boosts productivity and innovation.Source:J. Portes (2015), ‘Immigration is Good for Economic Growth. If Europe Gets It Right, Refugees Can Be Too.’UNRIC, IOM, UNHCR, UNDP and OHCHR (2015), ‘Myths, Facts and Answers about Refugees and Migrants’

​Migration and its challengesIn the previous section, we tried to summarize the opportunities and possibilities that may rise as consequences of migration. In the following section, instead, we will focus on the challenges that migration might bring along.

The following video introduces you to some of these challenges. A long-term Senegalese resident in Sweden presents us the biggest challenges and integration problems that his community is facing in Sweden.​He argues that living in isolated and segregated areas, combined with unemployment and heavy reliance on social welfare result in hindering people’s integration efforts and negatively affect their professional and social development.

Case study – Meeting SPARK 15, a Maltese NGO

​As we have seen in this module, there are both challenges and benefits to migration. When it comes to the receiving country though, it is often looked upon as a problem, with emphasis on the challenges associated with it, such as cost of integration, and providing housing and healthcare. However, a Maltese NGO, representing refugees in Malta, doesn’t think it has to be this way.

Spark 15 is an NGO established by 15 refugees in Malta aged 15-30. Its goal is to ease the integration of refugees through advocating for access to education and work. By helping them to be active participants, Spark 15 say both the refugees and Malta will benefit. Excluding them from education and work, in contrast, only keeps them dependent on public hand-outs, which hurts the host country economically and the refugees who are not able to grow, learn and contribute fully to society.

Spark 15 targets the structural barriers to education and integration, such as a lack of recognition of foreign qualifications, no coordinated efforts at Maltese and English language tuition, and ghettoising refugees in camps. It also aims to reduce discrimination and bias that leads to unemployment and insecure housing. They lobby the government for better laws and a robust integration policy. They organise English lessons for their members and act as a point of reference for refugees trying to access education.

​Read the following stories and think of some ways that both the immigrant and the locals could tackle the challenges posed by migration. How can they transform these challenges into opportunities and make sure migration is beneficial for everyone? For each example, try to think of two ways an individual or small group can help.

Ahmed is new to Malta, and doesn’t speak English or Maltese. He has started working in construction, but feels he would be better matched to a job in engineering, something he wants to pursue when he learns the language. Because of the low wages in construction, he can’t afford language lessons, and is trying to learn by himself by watching youtube clips. Because of the language barrier, he hasn’t been able to make any Maltese friends to practice with.

Mathew is a native of Malta and has seen the island change demographically over the last few decades. He has always worked low skilled jobs, but has recently found it difficult to come by any, as the local businesses employ foreigners at a lower rate.

​Sarah is new to Malta. She has a young child and never finds the time to go out and meet people. She wants to settle in to her new life in Malta because she feels isolated and alone. There are signs in her neighbourhood for a mother’s club that meets every week, but the signs are in Maltese so she doesn’t understand.

Ted has lived in a refugee centre in Malta for the last 2 years. His case is still pending and his morale is low. He was hoping to find work and community here away from the war at home, but so far has not been able to find a route into Maltese society. A local NGO offered some language lessons for him, but they were held too far from his centre, and with public transport being so infrequent, he wasn’t able to make it to the classes.

Rachel is a local who takes her children to play football on Saturdays. She has noticed that her children’s team is made up entirely of Maltese children, but several others in the league are made up of entirely foreign children. She wonders how she can get them together to interact meaningfully.

Summary ​In this module, we have looked at some of the benefits and some of the challenges associated with migration, both for home countries and host countries, migrants and locals. We have seen that an initial investment in integration can lead to social and economic enrichment, and better outcomes. We also saw that if given the opportunity, migrants can become constructive and valuable members of their hosting society. However, quite often they face discrimination and segregation. No one party is responsible for integration. Both the host society and the new arrivals must work in tandem to create a society in which all are allowed to lead a full and fulfilling life.​Looking AheadThe next module will be focused onshow you how you can use your knowledge of global and local migration patterns, rationales, and benefits and challenges, within your classroom teaching.